


What Lies Beneath?

by Calcasieu1959



Category: John Wick (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-25 18:11:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3820015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calcasieu1959/pseuds/Calcasieu1959
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What lies beneath convention and civilization?<br/>What lies beneath skin and bone?<br/>Who are we?<br/>When stripped down to the core?</p>
<p>Who are we, when the lies stop and we embrace what we desire?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Adventure Begins on Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> The movie captured my imagination. I was curious about the John Wick that burned the world for Helen. This was an experiment to see if I can actually come close to writing f/m and f/f sex and not have it be painfully boring.  
> Comments, questions and suggestions accepted. They tend to spur my muse.

Chapter 1  
Thursday

Aidan was out with food poisoning Wednesday. That was the day that he happened to come through. She wasn’t at her best when she came back to work Thursday. 

She found a variety of flowers in her light blue mason jar that she used as a flower vase. No card. No note. She knew who it was from though. John Wick. There was no one else that would have done something like that for her. 

She felt bad that she had missed his visit. She had some things that she really needed to talk to him about. She was so behind from missing yesterday that it utterly sucked. It made her feel only marginally better to learn that she hadn’t been the only one that had missed Wednesday in utter misery. 

It seemed to take forever before it felt like her brain started working again. She was just grateful that she had her own bathroom she didn’t have to share. Her stomach was still queasy and the sports drinks didn’t always decide to stay down. 

It wasn’t till late in the day that she snapped to the fact that she was running out of time if she hadn’t already. They had been intending to go over all of his accounts which were many and varied. Crap. Crap. Crap. Plus to cap it all off, she had finally got her hands on the new policy that everyone was in a flutter about. She hadn’t realized that it would actually affect him. It was going into effect Monday morning. She had tomorrow to pull a rabbit out of something and that was it!

She had never been given any of his contact information. ‘Don’t call him. He’ll call you or show up when it suits him. DO NOT bother him.’ 

She gathered together what she needed to make the changes to his accounts. She was just being prepared in case was her story if anyone asked. 

Part of her was working on a panic attack. They had till 5:00 pm on Friday to get it taken care of. He had never shown up over the weekend that she knew of. She doubted that he would come back through this week since he had already been there Wednesday. 

The penalty was going to cost him several thousand dollars at least. She felt the beginning of cold sweats when she contemplated that it might be a thousand per account instead of a combined penalty total of one thousand dollars for all twenty-five of his accounts. 

Now seemed like a good time to go and throw up again. 

She wasn’t sure of all of the ramifications. It was confusing how it was going to separate and divide some of his accounts into before and after. It just was a stupid idea from some greedy people that was going to come back around and bite them on the ass when they decided to fuck with someone like John Wick. 

She hunted through every document she had to see if there wasn’t something listed as a way to get in touch with him and give him a head’s up. She sent off an email to her supervisor letting him know about the situation. She suggested that someone contact Mr. Wick. Sure to God, someone, somewhere had a way to let him know that he needed to come and sign some paperwork that couldn’t wait. 

She started digging, again, for any contact information she had on Wick. Nope. She had no emails from him. She had no company phone calls from him. None of the paperwork that she could get her hands on had his contact information. Well shit. Somehow the thought of saying “I tried but I couldn’t find anything.” was not going to be sufficient in the face of several thousand dollars of loss. Back to the bathroom it was. 

She went home at 5:00 thoroughly frustrated. And more than a little pissed about the utter lack of help she was getting from her superiors. She was wondering if that wasn’t WHY she had been stuck with the day to day handling of his accounts. So they would have a scapegoat to throw under the metaphoric bus. Sucked to be her. 

She went home with an upset stomach and a raging headache. A long, hot bath and lots of calming tea helped. An ice pack on her head didn’t hurt either. She ended up taking some of her anti-anxiety meds and crashing for a couple of hours. When she woke up, it was 10:00 p.m. 

The warble of her phone let her know that it had finished charging. She wondered why she even bothered to charge it nightly. It wasn’t as if anyone ever called her. Besides family when they wanted something from her or for her to do some “little” something. 

She tried to remember the last time she had gotten a call from someone other than Aunt Wanna-whine. 

“Well Fucking Hell!!!!” Aidan grabbed her phone and unplugged it from the charger. Friday. It had been a Friday night. She had been working late. They had been working late and it had been the day from Hell that had continued on into the night. One cluster fuck after another. She had gotten a phone call. From none other than…wait for it….John Wick. HOT DAMN! She had his phone number. Now she just had to find it. 

She scrolled back through every Friday night till she got to a late night call. There was a phone number that she didn’t recognize. It was the only incoming phone call all day. How sad was that? 

She crossed her fingers and dialed the number. 

A woman’s voice answered the phone. “Hello?” She sounded pleasant, slightly sleepy and rather surprised. 

“Uh. Oh. Sorry. So sorry to bother you. Wrong number. Oh! Wait. Is this Mrs. Wick?”  
“Who is this?”  
“An idiot. Sorry. My name is Aidan. I work for the Company. I need to speak to John. I mean Mr. Wick. About his account. Oh crap. I sound like a total idiot stalker. I’m sorry. It’s been kind of a stressful day.” 

Helen looked up at a movement. She had heard the shower turn off about a minute before the phone had rung. 

John came out drying off. His head tilted as he listened to the conversation. He stretched out on the bed still naked and damp and wrapped his hand around Helen’s and pushed the speaker option. “Where are you?” The tone was almost growling. 

There was silence from the phone. Then a rather confused answer of “Home?”. 

“Do you want me to come and get you?” The question surprised both women. It wasn’t an idle offer and not one that many people would get. Helen was astonished that it would be offered to someone that she knew of but hadn’t been Introduced to. Yet. It was very possible that John was biding his time. He had the patience of a true predator that surfaced from time to time. 

“What? Come and get me? Why would you come and get me? How could you come and get me? You don’t even know where I live. Do you?”

John was silent for a few heartbeats. “I just got out of the shower. Do I need to put on clothes or not?”

“Mother Night! I did not need that comment.” 

Helen started snickering. They were naked with each other in both senses of the word. It was the best entertainment she had experienced all week. 

“ Don’t get dressed on my account. Oh Gawd. I’m never going to be able to look you in the eye again. Though the thought..you are amazingly fit. I never did figure out the tattoos. I mean NO I don’t need you to come and get me. I don’t get in trouble. That’s you. I lead a nice, quiet boring life. That’s not why I called. But I really didn’t call.”

John rolled his eyes and got comfortable. “Start rambling from the beginning.” 

Helen was watching him. His body language had shifted. He was engaged and slightly aroused. She was intrigued. It had been a long time if ever that a phone call from someone had gotten that reaction. Even when they had first started their relationship, she didn’t remember seeing that kind of response. It made her even more interested in the female on the other end of the line. Even more so with the comment about John’s tattoos. He would have had his shirt off for her to see them. And when and why would that have been? Not a normal business day activity.

“Very funny. I provide details when you ask for them. I do not ramble. I just give you all of the details because you never say exactly what it is that you want to know. I have to guess. Using words on your part would prevent me from having to use so many on my part you know.” 

Helen buried her face in the pillow. Oh did she ever have John’s communication style down. And even better she was calling him on it. No fear. No real anger either. There was a kind of smartass snark but it wasn’t mean or cruel. Just blunt. John Wick kind of blunt as a matter of fact. 

“Oops. Sorry. That wasn’t very professional. Sorry. I think that the anti-anxiety stuff is too strong. I haven’t had to use it in awhile and I’m feeling kind of loopy. Am I sounding loopy?” 

Helen blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that answer or John’s response. There was a very different kind of tension in his body now. The stillness of a predator before the attack. What had happened that the girl had taken anti-anxiety medication? Did she take it on a regular basis? 

“Using words now. Why did you take the anti-anxiety stuff?”

The words were enunciated carefully. “I took the anti-anxiety medication because I was very anxious. Why else WOULD I take it? It’s not like I abuse it. I’ve had that prescription for over a year now and I haven’t had to use that many. I’m getting better. See?”

Helen wasn’t laughing any more. Neither was John. His voice was very gentle. “Aidan. What were you anxious about?”

“I couldn’t find you. ANYWHERE. Yes, I was panicking. No it didn’t do me a damn bit of good. No beating me over the head with the details of anti-anxiety therapy and all of the other shit I’m supposed to be able to do and remember when my brain is at gibbering monkey stage. 

“Anyway, I looked in the emails. I got the phone records. I looked through piles and piles of paperwork. I couldn’t find out how to email or call you anywhere and tomorrow is Friday and if you didn’t come in and sign the papers to switch things over to the non-fucked-up-side then it was going to cost you lots and lots of money and you were going to be soooo PISSED at me. I hate it when people are pissed at me. I like you. It hurts more.” 

In public, John tended to have a rather expressionless face. Even in private, his eyes revealed more of what he was thinking than his face. That was Helen’s excuse for the reason that she couldn’t read the expressions that rapidly flickered over his features. His tone was calming when he spoke. 

“But you did find me. I’m right here. I like you too. I’m not pissed at you. We are going to talk now. I’m going to come in tomorrow and sign the papers. Everything will be fine. It will be after lunch. That way if you are still feeling loopy in the morning you don’t have to come in till after lunch. You can sleep it off.” 

“Okay. I think it hit me harder because I was throwing up. I think I forgot to take them with food.” 

“Why were you throwing up?”

“I had food poisoning. I wasn’t the only one. Then I looked at what they had done to your accounts and I just felt sick.” 

“But it is all better now. You don’t have to feel sick. We are going to fix it tomorrow. Remember?”

“I remember. I don’t feel sick anymore. At least it was the throwing up not the feeling that I couldn’t breathe and the world was crushing down on me. That REALLY sucks. But I’m better now. I finally found your phone number from when you lost me that Friday night. OH! Subject change.” 

The voice on the phone sighed deeply. “You are going to have to think of something. A reason to come in tomorrow. I did NOT call you. I have not contacted you in any way, shape or form as per my instructions when I was assigned to your account. I kind of like having a job. There are these things called bills that I like being able to pay. Dear GOD, I am horrible at staying on point tonight. 

There is this change in policy. I was going to get it fixed Wednesday. I found out most of the details late Tuesday. But, I wasn’t there Wednesday. Food poisoning. You came through and I wasn’t there. Thank you for the flowers by the way. Did anyone tell you about the changing policy and did I just make a total fool of myself because this has already been handled?”

“What change in policy? This has to do with changing things over to the non-fucked-up-side?”  
“That would be a ‘No’ then. Who did you talk to? No. Don’t answer that. It would be best if I didn’t know. For so many reasons it would be best if I didn’t know. Let me think for a minute.” 

“Setting my watch.”  
“Smartass.”  
“Thank you.” 

The two of them together…she was going to HAVE to watch them as well as hear them interact. She had never seen John as patient with anyone that was reminiscent of a rambling drunk. Someone who was medicated for some fairly severe panic and anxiety issues. Especially as John generally caused those. She was sounding better the longer she interacted with him. She was calming down. 

It was fascinating. John bought her flowers? Wasn’t that most intriguing? As far as she knew, she was the only woman that John did that kind of thing for. The rest of the world he kept at a distance. Most of the rest of the world. It seemed that there were some exceptions. She was listening to one now. 

“I don’t want to tell you about it now. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow when you come through to see if there was anything…not that was missed. I wasn’t there and I am sort of the one that is most familiar with your accounts. You were checking that everything was good. That will work. 

“Houston, we have a plan. You can ask me if there had been any changes that you need to know about. You ask that a lot. It won’t seem strange. Then I can tell you about the surprise policy change and we can get the paperwork signed and they can all be shifted so there won’t be any penalties.” 

John’s eyebrow went up. “What kind of penalties are we talking about? And what changes have suddenly been put into effect that no one has bothered to inform me about?”  
“Well crap.”  
“Someone probably will.”  
“Not funny.”  
“Not known best for my sense of humor.”  
“True.”

“Penalties?”

“I have no idea. Really. It’s not that my brain isn’t working at warp speed either. It was all vague and smoke and mirrors. Some dumbass got a ‘brilliant’ idea to get more money for the Company. I have no idea where or who except that it was upper management and damn if they don’t all qualify for the dumbass award at times. 

“I stay in my cave and don’t get out much. I do keep my eye on the company chat forum though. A while back, I read about this policy change that no one really knew much about. It seemed just kind of odd. There was all this fluttering and mystery about it so I got curious. I did more following of ‘the gossip’ than I usually do. It’s like it just came out of no-where. It was vague and then suddenly it was there.

“All I really know is that accounts that don’t have a certain coding by the opening of business day Monday are going to be penalized. There is a percentage that will be taken out. Now. Damn if I can figure out from the little bit that I have gotten my hands on if it will be one time or a recurring penalty.”  
“How much of a percentage?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“How are they planning to take it out and when?”  
“Don’t know that either. I was trying to figure out if it was be like a thousand over all your accounts or a thousand per account. That’s about when I had to go and throw up.” 

John made a snorting noise. “You are letting this get to you way the fuck too much. I wouldn’t have been pissed at you even if you hadn’t found my number. I would have found the correct person and expressed my displeasure.”  
“My vote is to deal with it by not HAVING to deal with it. Get the paperwork signed that should exempt you from the bullshit.” 

“Fine. How DID you get my number?” That was something that Helen was curious about as well.  
“Not my fault. You called me when you lost me.”  
“WHAT? Wait. I didn’t catch that the first time. What do you mean I LOST you?!”

“Fine. Misplaced me then.”  
“What the fuck?”  
“Stairs? Using all the words thing? Ringing any bells?”

“Yes it does. You were supposed to meet me at the stairs.”  
“I DID. I was standing at the bottom of the staircase waiting.” There was such indignation in that tone.  
“You were supposed to wait for me at the TOP and go down the stairs together.”

There was a snorting noise. “My brain is working at least that well and I can remember parts of the night. We were talking about you walking me TO my car. That implies being IN a place where we can walk out TO the car. Bot-tom. Floor.” 

“If I was going to walk you out to the car so I could keep an eye on you, I sure as hell didn’t plan on you walking down the dark staircase all by yourself.” 

“It wasn’t that dark. The emergency lights were on.” 

“Emergency lighting carries with it the connotation that there is a fucking emergency somewhere. And you can’t see in the dark for shit.” 

“Says you. I wasn’t the one that slid down those last few stairs. Though, I was impressed that you just kind of slid and didn’t fall. I would have busted my ass. Which is why I walked in a sensible fashion with one hand on the stair rail and took one step at a time. It wasn’t pitch black and my night vision is just fine.” 

John’s response was a long, low toe-curling growl. Then he used words. “You trip over things.” 

He got what probably was supposed to be a growl back. It was…lacking. “Not when I get to use these things called sidewalks! No, I can’t go jaunting around the woods with all of these roots and other shit you drug me over that I shouldn’t HAVE to be able to see in the dark. Sidewalks Jonathon. Sidewalks.”

He huffed and flopped over on his back. “What the fuck ever.”  
“Thank you for conceding my victory.”  
“Everyone is entitled to certain delusions.” 

There was a moment of quiet outrage then Aidan started laughing. “Just show up at the office tomorrow.” 

“Of course, I can understand the desire to check up on you and see that you haven’t gotten in trouble since the last time I saw you.” 

“Again. I’m not the one that gets into trouble. I am the quiet, compliant one.”  
“I’m quiet.” 

“Different kind of quiet. And no one has ever accused you of being compliant.”  
“True.” 

There was an odd kind of silence. The tone, when she spoke, held a certain kind of gentleness. Not something that was generally directed in conversation toward John Wick. “No. That’s not true. Actually I wouldn’t say that the right word is compliant but you have been… I don’t mind working with you. I usually enjoy it. You are really rather nice.”  
“NICE?” 

Helen blinked. She didn’t know his voice could hit that pitch. And express such utter incredulity. 

“Okay. So that’s not the first word that generally comes to mind when someone mentions your name. You are fair. You don’t take things out on me when things go wrong that are beyond my control. The few times that I didn’t understand what you wanted and made mistakes you didn’t get pissy about that either. We just fixed the problem without any bitching or blaming.

“I get to ask questions and not be called stupid. You will explain when I ask. I even get to have an opinion that is different from yours. Hell, I get to have opinions. Nope, by far the best person I’ve worked with or for.” 

“Who called you stupid?”  
“It doesn’t matter.”  
“It does to me.”  
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Even assholes.”

“Davis.”  
“What about him?”

“He the one that called you stupid?”  
“Nope.” 

“What did he call you then?”  
“He usually called me Red.” 

“He couldn’t even remember your fucking name?”  
“What makes you think that I wanted him to pay me enough attention that he DID remember what my name was?”

John came from on his back to hovering over the phone on the bed. There was an aura of contained violence about him. It was reflected in the too-gentle tone of his voice. “Oh? Really?”

“Down boy. Pull in the fangs and claws. I didn’t stay there for more than two weeks. He didn’t bother me. I’m not pretty enough. The women that are in the office with him now can more than take care of themselves. No winkies wanted or needed to come to their aid.” 

“Excuse me?”  
“I think they are called lipstick lesbians. Someone in HR has a sense of humor.” 

John was silent then started laughing.  
“Good boy. I’ll bring biscuits tomorrow. Damn. It’s late. I can sleep now. I don’t feel sick and my head doesn’t hurt anymore. Mwah! Good night.” 

The phone disconnected. 

Helen looked at her husband. Mwah! Kissing sound? That had to be a first. 

He was regarding the phone with amused fondness. 

She had never seen that look directed at another person. She knew he adored her. But she didn’t have the kind of snark that made him smile and laugh like this Aidan person did. She was going to have to go in with him tomorrow and meet this ‘not pretty enough, vibrant, mouthy, caring creature with as odd of a sense of humor as her husband. 

And get the story of the stairs, her amazingly graceful husband sliding down the last few of said stairs. Emergency lighting? Implies a fucking emergency somewhere? How and why he ‘misplaced’ the girl. How he had her personal cell phone number. No, not how, he was more than a little technologically savvy, why he had her personal number. 

Then there were the very interesting facets to the relationship. The use of the words ‘pull in your fangs and claws’. What did she know about John Wick? What had she seen in that ‘jaunt’ with roots and trees and shit. In the woods no less. Where had they been? 

He never ever swore around most people or in public. In private he had a most profane turn of phrase. But it wasn’t the persona he displayed to the world at large. She only rarely heard him swear. He censored his language around her. 

He didn’t around this Aidan and wasn’t that interesting. Neither of them censored themselves. She might have taken some anti-anxiety medication that left her slightly ‘loopy’ but there was a bond between them that allowed John to deal with it using humor and patience. It didn’t piss him off or irritate him. If anything he was rather worried for a few minutes. There was a kind of trust and intimacy that was deeper than just two people that might have had sex. 

The most interesting thing was that he evidently recognized her voice from the bathroom and came to see why she called. He was willing to get dressed and go and get her. She was his. 

Helen didn’t know if either of them had actually realized that fact. She would almost put money on the fact that they hadn’t. Aidan belonged to John Wick. He was protective and possessive of her. Yes, she would be going in tomorrow to meet this person.

John picked up the phone off the bed and started to put it on the bedside table. 

“What does she look like? I am guessing she has red hair? Natural redhead?”  
John halted. The snicker took them both by surprise. “She would beat on me if I asked or peeked. Yep. Definitely pillow smacking territory. But yes, I would think going by her coloration she is a natural redhead.” 

Helen raised a brow. “Where is her picture?”

John looked at her thoughtfully. “Why would you think that I have a picture of her?”

Helen just gave him a look. “You like her. A great deal. You tend to take snapshots of people that you interact with on a regular basis. I know you have at least one phone photo of her. Probably more. After all, you have her phone number so you could call her when you misplaced her.” 

John bristled slightly. “I did NOT misplace her. She was supposed to wait for me to get her out. Top of the damn staircase since she wasn’t about to get into the elevator and be trapped.” 

“And the rest of the story is?”  
“I found her. Got her to the car. Got her home. Eventually. She was in a very pissy mood with me.” 

“Would that be due to the fact that there were no sidewalks included in your jaunt through the woods?” Helen studied her husband. “What exactly happened?” 

John sighed deeply and stretched out on his stomach. “That’s part of the problem. Alarms started going off. The lights went out and then the emergency lighting kicked in. I had gone down the hall to check it out. She went down the fucking stairs before I got back. 

I located her and headed in her direction. She was at the back door on the bottom floor. We walked out and after that it got…hazy.” 

“Why did it get hazy?”  
“I was darted with something.” 

“Oh. Shit. Very not good. For someone.” Helen was silent for a few seconds. “Well obviously you both survived. What happened?”

“I got us to my car. Got in the car and got out of the area. We were followed. I lost them. Got lost. Ended up in BFE. I sort of remember making it to one of the safe houses. She was not happy with me. Got us cleaned up.” 

Helen touched his arm. “Cleaned up how and why?”

John scowled as he tried to call up the memories. “Going through the woods. We were out of the car for some reason. She kept up. I was pretty impressed. Her conditioning is better than I would have guessed. 

“Anyway, we were filthy. Oh shit. I think that there was blood involved. Someone else’s. Not ours. A couple of guys caught up with us. I took care of them. They gassed us with something. It hit her harder than it did me. She was upright but out of it when we got to the safe house. Yeah. I’m suddenly flashing on an image. She’s a natural redhead.” 

Helen was very thoughtful. “Yes. I remember that weekend. You called me and said that something unexpected had come up. You would be home as soon as you could but it was going to take some time to deal with.” 

“That’s probably the one. No. That’s the one. I have no fucking clue what all of the shit was about. No one was saying anything when I asked around later. It seemed to have been some flunky’s brilliant idea that they paid for. Dearly.” 

“So? You made it to the safe house. What then?”

John rubbed his hands over his face. “That’s the part that really bothers me still.” He looked at his best friend. “I have no real memories. Only flashes. Whatever they hit me with… There was the dart but it wasn’t a solid hit. The gas got to me more but not till later.

“I got us to the safe house and cleaned up. I have flashes of images and that’s about all till sometime on Sunday. I don’t remember what I did. I don’t think that I hurt her. Much. Or scared her. Totally shitless. She was annoyed at me and let me know it. So something must have gone right.” 

Helen sat up and rested her body over his. She rubbed his arms and shoulders. “She’s not afraid of you. Even loopy, she does not sound in the least like you have managed to intimidate or frighten her.” 

“No. She doesn’t. Does she?”  
“So. What are you worried about that happened? Or is it what didn’t happen?”

“She is really a nice, kind person. Thoughtful. Considerate. Good people.”  
“And?”

John scrubbed his fingers through his hair and clenched his hands into fists. “You know me. About as well as anyone. You knew what you were getting into. She’s not our kind. She didn’t. Know what she was getting into. Didn’t ask for any of this. Didn’t..” 

“Didn’t what? Didn’t say no. Didn’t fight you? Went along with whatever it was that happened? What did happen? What are those flashes and sense memories about? Sexual I would imagine. It is how you tend to react to some of those drugs. Add to that your sex drive has been beaten down by some idea that because mine is in the toilet yours needs to be as well. We have talked about this till both of us are sick of it for various reasons.

“You need sexual stimulation and release. I knew that you have lovers in the plural when we bonded. I never asked you to break the ties that you had with them. I simply suggested that you might want to find another Pleasure House that didn’t have the ties to your old life. NOT that you should stop going all together. 

“It IS part of your nature. We both know that. You can change. You have changed. But you cannot change what you are in your DNA. You are a sexual and sensual creature. Much more so than I will ever be. We agreed that I understood that I would NOT be your only lover. Like I have been for the past three years. It’s not working. For either of us. 

“If you were sexual with this girl, fine. She isn’t afraid of you. You must not have traumatized her very badly. She would have run screaming the first time you walked into the room afterwards. She would not be calling you a ‘smartass’ and getting away with it. So. What do you remember?”

John shivered. “She was startled and hesitant. I think. No, I’m sure that there was some freaking going on. She stayed calm and didn’t panic though. She didn’t trigger anything aggressive in me.” He hesitated. “Well not exactly. I do remember she had both hands in my hair at one point and was pulling very firmly. I growled at her.” He got the oddest look on his face. “I think she poured part of a bottle of water over my head for that.” 

Helen looked blankly at him. Blinking. “Well. That would be one way to get your attention. Certainly a novel approach. But back on subject. What was it that you were doing that she was objecting to?”

John looked blank. “OH.”  
“Yes?”  
“She’s… kind of. She’s not of either of our kind. She has some…inhibitions.” 

Helen shifted till she could see more of John’s face. “What did you do to the poor girl? When we first were together you took ME by surprise a few times and I was probably lifetimes more experienced.” 

John gave her a rueful smile. “You already know I tend to be…oral.”  
“Really? I never noticed.”  
“I’m not the only smartass in the family. Anyway, I was…tasting her. She smelled good. She was faintly aroused but not enough. Not for what I wanted to do anyway. I was…” 

“John? Are you trying, for some strange reason, to be tactful?”  
“Evidently. I have no idea why. Except I tend to try, not so much succeed but try, to be tactful around her. I guess it’s carrying over.”  
“So. Just go ahead and get graphic. Remember who you are talking to and tell me what you did.” 

“She was naked on the bed. She was damp. We must have just gotten out of the shower. It was chilly. We started out under the covers to get warm. Her skin felt so good against mine. I rubbed my face against her shoulder. She was curled up against me. 

Then somehow I was over her. We were kissing. She made these little noises. Soft. Pleasure noises. She liked it. She made this lovely gasping sound when I bit her neck. I didn’t draw blood. Just let her know that I could.” 

“Oh. Shit. I am understanding the ‘fangs and claws’ comment now.”  
“Unfortunately, yes. It got…interesting. I was working my way down. I wanted her. I wanted her wet and willing. She wasn’t enough of either to suit me. 

“I don’t think that she has had many lovers. Or not many good lovers. She was…tense when I started licking. She didn’t really relax either. I didn’t get to pleasure her before she dumped the water over me.” 

“Did you? Get to pleasure her?”  
“I don’t think so. Not what I would consider pleasure. I did bite her and drink from her. She touched me. Slid her hand down slowly and cupped me then wrapped her hand around my cock. Gently. Stroked me while she was kissing me. I have a very vague memory of coming several times. It was never inside of her but I did come on her. She liked kissing. She was more than willing to do that. 

“I got us back to my car sometime on Sunday and then made sure that she got home safely. 

“It was a little awkward the next time that we met but she managed to…get through it. She didn’t seem to be afraid or hold anything against me. We just kind of ignored it and went on from there.”

“But you want more from her.”  
“Yes.”  
“Do you think that she is attracted to women as well or she is completely male oriented?”

“I think that she is somewhat interested in you but has no idea what to do about it.”  
Helen brushed John’s hair out of his face. “Oh? Really? And why would you think that?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes after we have been working on that crap for awhile and I get tired and hungry, I drag her out to go and eat. I don’t want to always do take out food. While we are at one of the restaurants I like to eat at, we end up in actual conversations. Othertimes, we go out to eat after we have finished for the day. Then I can really get her to open up. Usually. Eventually.” 

“And.” 

“I showed her your picture one time. Well not so much I showed it to her as she saw it. You sent me a text. The image before was one that you sent me when you were actually feeling somewhat aroused. 

“We were sitting side by side because she talks so softly, so when I pulled out my phone to check the text. I held it between us. I had forgotten the last photo that you had sent to me. 

“Her eyes got very wide. She started to call for a ‘to go box’ since I would be crazy to pass up an offer like that. 

“The text under the photo was you telling me that you had a headache and were turning in early. Saying good night and love you now. I admit that I read it to her. Told her the ‘to go’ box wasn’t going to be necessary for that reason. But since she never finishes her meal in one sitting, go ahead and have them wrap it up for her to take home and eat later. 

“She didn’t say much. She did comment that she didn’t have anyone to send her nice pictures or even little notes like that. I was lucky. 

“Her mood was kind of down for a bit after that. I did offer to give her phone number to you. You could be talked into sending her some texts and photos. She didn’t think that I would do it. 

Helen had to smile. That was very much something that he was capable of doing. “Did you send me her number?”

“Yeah. But she took the phone away from me before I could get a message off.”  
“She. Took the phone away? From you?”  
“It wasn’t like I was going to fight her for it.” 

“It was the concept Dear. That she would reach over and take it away from you.”  
“Uh. Dear. She takes my phone away from me on a regular basis. When I have it out and she doesn’t think that I am taking care of business… Yeah, she takes it out of my hand and puts it on the desk. The far side of her desk. Especially if I’m playing a game. She fusses that we are supposed to be working.” 

“I am more and more intrigued to meet with her. Go on. You were going to send me her number and I was going to … what?”  
“Flirt with her.”  
“Oh?”

“I asked if she hadn’t ever sent sexy messages to anyone? It was fun and arousing as hell.”  
“And her response?”  
“She looked at me like I was crazy.”

John hung his head slightly. “I showed her a couple more of the pics that you sent.”  
“Oh. Dear. God. Which ones?”  
“Don’t worry. That first one was about as pornographic as you got. 

 

“She did ask a question before she thought about it… why would someone like HER be interested me someone like ME?” 

“So she was…contemplating saying yes.”  
“She wanted to say yes but her ‘good sense’ kicked in and she told me not to be silly.”  
“Interesting choice of words. I’m sure not many people call you ‘silly’. So she is interested in women?”  
“I’m not sure.” 

Helen looked at him in disbelief.  
“Hear me out. There were some good looking women in the restaurant. They didn’t catch her eye. She looked but she wasn’t aroused. There were some very NICE looking guys. No checking them out. That doesn’t seem to be what attracts her. 

“And on a side note. She doesn’t look around when we go out. Not like she is wondering if there is something better out there. More something or less of something and if she could find that…she would be happy. She pays attention to me and what I am saying. She doesn’t have her phone out. She isn’t texting or doing some other social media thing. She is looking at me and listening. I find that very arousing.” 

“What is she aroused by?”  
John thought about it. “Touch. From someone she trusts. I admit that when we are out of the office I forget sometimes. Or more honestly, just don’t bother to remember. She likes the heat of my hand on the small of her back. She likes it when I take her hand in dark places. Well, dark for her. She enjoys being touching close. In fact, I think that I just realized that she must be somewhat touch starved.” 

Helen looked thoughtful. “She has no…friends, family, lovers?”

John shook his head. “She isn’t close to anyone that she works with. I know that for a fact. She doesn’t trust any of them. She isn’t close to her family either. They live some distance away and from a couple of comments she has made I think that she has arranged it that way. Lovers? Not currently and I don’t think that her past sexual partners have been…more than adequate, if that.”  
“Okay. So what…does she find attractive? What does she study and you get hints of arousal from her?”

“Honestly, it’s kind of... hard to pin down. She is more comfortable with me when I am…real. Not the polite façade that most people there prefer. She is responsive to me coming up behind her and pressing close. Her head tilts to the side for a second before her brain, good sense, survival instinct kicks in and she moves away. But that acknowledgement and acceptance is there.” 

“She is attracted to Darkness and power. Isn’t she? She finds you more difficult to resist when your true nature shines through. When she is alone with you in the shadows of the places that you take her to. Isn’t that when she is most aroused? And you find her the most arousing.”

John closed his eyes. “Yes.” His body gave a long, slow shudder and he pressed his cock harder against the mattress. 

“And you want her. You want to touch her. Taste her. Kiss her. Bite her. Some of the places that you go wouldn’t bat an eye if you slid up her dress and got rid of her underwear. Coaxed her to straddle you and ride your cock. Fucked her slow and tender then hard and deep. Mounted her from behind and tied with her. Marking her. As yours. Deep in her body and soul where nothing could ever erase what you put in her. And on her.” 

John’s breath caught. He moaned softly. “I don’t take her there. I know better.”  
“But you want to.”  
“Yes.”  
“I think that part of her might want it as well. She has a mundane mindset. Married means that one person is your everything. There can be nothing and no one else. John. Have you forgotten? We are not Mundane?”

“I remember. But she is Mundane. She isn’t of our race. Either of our races. I don’t want to hurt her. I want to do all sorts of things that would shock her I’m sure. I want to bring her to our bed and watch her learn to pleasure you. Learn that it is…acceptable to be pleasured in return. To not be afraid or shy to let you explore and taste what is between those pale thighs. To arch into you instead of away. 

“She is soft. So gentle. You would crave her touch even when you ache. I don’t think that you would ache as much once you experienced the feel and taste of her. Not the same kind of ache. More hunger. Less hurt. You could feed from her.” John shifted to his side and held himself firmly. “Fuck. The thought of you feeding her in return…Fuck.” 

Helen moved over him. Rubbing her damping flesh over his hardness. “Tell me more. What are you seeing that has you so hard and leaking?”

“You. On your back. Your thighs spread. You are golden. She is moon pale. Her coming up your body as you rest against the pillows. I’ve never needed it. I have only tasted it a few times from when we were first together. One of your other lovers, did need your milk. 

“I remember tasting you after the two of you had been together. How sweet it was. How delicious. How full your breasts were and how you clenched your thighs around me in arousal and pleasure. How you rode the edge for the longest till I slid down and put my mouth on you. 

“How very hot and wet you were when I slid deep inside you. How you craved and hungered. You were stronger then. Much stronger. It wasn’t that the Illness wasn’t there. It was that you were so much more resistant to it and the effects. I can’t be everything that you need. I know that. You can’t be everything that I need even if I count you as my world. 

“Those females back then. Including the one that was supposedly your companion. She wasn’t much of a lover or companion. She left before I could ever meet her. Ran away. I always counted that as abandoning you. She never even met me face to face. All she knew was what the rumors told. She never spoke to me to find out what I was like in private. To those that I considered mine. She didn’t want to be mine. 

“I could have respected that and her if she had told me directly. Even with a glass wall between us. But she just ran. They all did. You had three lovers when we first met. Female lovers. In the end, there was only me. And I am definitely not female.” 

Helen had to laugh. She slid down over his hardness. And watched him gasp and arch. “No. The only female parts in this bed are mine. You are all male.” She rode him slowly. Watched his eyes change. Him grip the headboard and leave more grooves in the wood. They really needed something different since they were going to have to replace it soon anyway. Sad to say, it had lasted several years instead of months. Then she was lost in the pleasure and sensation of her lover’s body. 

His heat and hunger for her. The lovely way he filled her almost to the point of pain. It had been so long. Her body had become so empty. So dry and desolate. But not tonight. 

Tonight she hungered. Wanted. Craved. The thoughts of a lover with delicate, pale thighs and flesh waiting shyly for her. To explore. To corrupt. To teach pleasures untold. To feed upon and to feed. 

A lover that she would share with John. That wasn’t afraid. That was welcoming. She could watch them pleasure each other. To taste the richness left inside delicate folds. The both of them together. 

To watch John as he found his pleasure. To wrap her senses around him. Around them both. To draw in that aliveness. The fire of them. To warm up the chilly places in her soul. 

Her body shuddered into orgasm. John shifted carefully and filled her again and again till his hunger was finally spent. They stayed close. Panting. It had been a long time. Too long. 

But she now had hopes that they had found a reason and person to start making changes.


	2. The Meeting

Helen got up and got ready when John did the next morning. She felt better than she had in some time. She wasn’t going to contemplate just how long that had been. 

Her body felt good. She didn’t ache. Didn’t feel brittle. She felt alive. She felt hungry for something that she wasn’t totally ready to contemplate. She wondered about Aidan. She had hopes. Things that she had contemplated in the dark of the night that were still lingering in the light of the day. 

She wondered what Aidan was like. She had John’s perceptions. What he had shared. There were probably more that he couldn’t exactly put into words. 

She looked delicate. Fragile almost. There was some steel there to be able to deal with John as well as she had. Especially, when he was not firmly in control of aspects of himself. She seemed inexperienced in a number of ways. 

But there was that part of her that had fire. She had a mouth on her. She wasn’t afraid of John. She was quick to snark at him. 

She trusted him. That could be interesting. They had been together very late at night. Even before the Incident. There were very few people that were comfortable in the dark of night with him. Even less so when his control was less than complete. 

Helen thought to herself, sometimes even she was startled at what came out of the dark at her as he glided toward her out of the shadows backlit by the moon. 

Her mind replayed parts of the conversation as she got ready. 

Dog jokes? Really? She had no idea of if anyone had ever made them or gotten away with them concerning John Wick. 

As a matter of fact, she had called John a ‘smartass’ and he had just laughed. There was an odd kind of honesty and affection. She wondered how that had come about. She wondered if it could and would extend to her. If hopes and wishes and dreams could finally come true? They had been existing here in this place. Just existing. She wanted them to start living again. To relish and consume the pleasures in life. To be rich and full and bursting with passion. 

She wondered if Aidan’s hair reflected the fire inside her soul? Could she relight theirs?

∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞♥∞

They arrived just after lunch time. Helen hadn’t expected to be led to the older section of the office complex. There was someone at the front desk but he didn’t even pay them any attention when they came through. John nodded at them and received a nod in return. 

They took the elevator to the sixth floor. It had a deserted feeling to it. 

Once the elevator doors opened she was struck again how silent it was. Most of the signage indicated that it was the computer section. She was sure that her husband did know exactly where he was going. She did wonder if they were taking a shortcut. 

They walked down a grey hall toward a bank of windows at the far end. 

The door to the last room on the left was open. John cleared his throat before they appeared in the doorway. Making an effort not to startle the person in the room. He usually didn’t care. If they weren’t aware of their surrounding it wasn’t his problem. 

“I heard her heels.” The young woman behind the desk was standing and moving toward them. “Hello, My name is Aidan. I don’t believe that we have actually met Mrs. Wick.” 

 

Her hair was loose and curled in soft waves to just above her waist. What the sun’s rays caught was a vibrant Titan red. 

Helen reached out and shook the slender hand that was offered. The grip was very firm but not painful. Strong but calm and confident in their strength. A sort of wiry grace to her build. Ballerina rather than a gymnast. 

Besides strength the next thing that Helen noticed was the warmth. Not close to the heat that John generated but not the chilly grip of the usual office worker. “Please call me Helen.” 

Aidan nodded and then turned and looked at John. “I do apologize for not being here when you came through Wednesday. I am sure your account manager was able to answer any questions you had.”

“Not really, he happened to be out when I came through. Not unexpected since I didn’t have an appointment. That is why I tend to take advantage of your availability.” 

“Oh. Well I am certainly glad that you made the effort to come back by. I hope it wasn’t an inconvenience. Was there something in particular that you wanted to inquire about?” 

“I had wanted to get an overview of the accounts. It has been a couple of months since we have focused on the entirety. We have been focusing on specific issues. Have there been any changes that we might want to take advantage of?”

“Oh. As a matter of fact, there has been a change that we need to consider. Here is the information that I have been able to gather. I’ll let you take your time to study that prospectus. I just happen to have some home-made ‘biscuits’ or scones if you would like some refreshment. My teapot is, as always, available for your use.” 

John made a snorting noise. 

He gestured Helen toward a couch. 

She sat and found that it was a very nice leather couch. She kicked off her shoes and got comfortable. She wondered at the song and dance between them. Why Aidan thought it was necessary? Did she suspect she was being spied on? 

John was playing along. He would have long since taken steps to ensure than anyone spying on him would receive some unexpected and unwelcome responses. 

She had the feeling they would be here for awhile. It would give her the chance to watch the two of them together. She got comfortable and closed her eyes. They had finally moved out of the almost stiff role-play that didn’t seem remotely natural. 

She listened to the two of them as John divided his attention between the papers and Aidan.   
To the tone of voice that he used with Aidan. It was gentle for him. He was generally soft-spoken. The quieter his voice got, the more dangerous he was. But it was a different kind of quietness that he used with Aidan. 

“I never claimed to be able to do anything more than provide the teapot and the tea.”   
“That’s not tea.” 

“T.E.A. spells tea. It says so on the front of the package.”   
“Lipton isn’t tea.”   
“Lipton is perfectly good tea for those of us that haven’t embraced our inner tea snob. But I did decide to venture out and got some Celestial Seasonings teas.” 

“That’s daring of you.”   
“I got the variety pack. That way if it utterly sucks I’m not stuck with a box of the stuff.” 

Helen opened her eyes slightly and studied Aidan. She was hearing more of the person that had called late at night. 

The image fit and it didn’t. There were layers to the girl. Conservative on the surface. But something different lurking beneath the bland exterior. The long skirt was different. It was a material that looked both warm and soft. The top she was wearing was a loose sweater. It made Helen wonder what lay beneath the soft material. The snarky tone was more teasing and fond than anything. 

John dropped the papers on the coffee table before the couch. He put his laptop down next to them. There was a surge protector he reached under the couch for and positioned it where he could plug the laptop into. 

“Pillow.”   
“Yes Mother.” 

John took the large pillow on the couch and showed it to Aidan before he dropped it on the floor where he knelt to work. There was a story behind that little action. 

Helen looked around. It wasn’t an office. Or it hadn’t been designed as an office. She would say that the sink and counters meant that it had been some sort of break room at one time. There was a series of windows that had racks of plants before them. Rolling blinds and a couple of wicker chairs that had quilts thrown over them. 

It was more like a home office than something you would find in a corporate building. But then they were also in the BFE part of the corporate building. There were some flowers in a mason jar. They mingled with the scent of incense. That must be the flowers that she mentioned last night. The flowers that John evidently bought for her. It wasn’t roses. It was a mixture of carnations and other blooms.

The music playing was something low-key and soothing. Something like meditation music. She let the music relax her. She felt John cover her up with the quilt from the back of the couch. He knew that she wasn’t actually sleeping. She doubted that Aidan could tell. 

Aidan shrugged. “It’s not like we can’t find something to do till she wakes up. There’s lots of stuff that we haven’t had the chance to go over in detail.” 

“She usually doesn’t sleep more than a few hours at a time anyway.” 

“That should give us enough time to go over the changes that I’ve noticed and see how they will affect your accounts. Sometimes it’s almost enough to put me to sleep.”   
“No shit.” 

“It really is fortuitous that you decided to come in today.”   
John grunted. 

“I’ll let you read about the new policy and make your decision. There are several sections that I haven’t been able to obtain clarification. What the penalty percentage will be and when and how it will be assessed.” 

“I’m inclined to reclassify to keep from dealing with the unknown and untested policy. It seems like a very poor judgment call on someone’s part.”   
“I will keep my eye on the policy and have any updates ready for you as soon as I find out about them.”

“I don’t want to wait till I happen to come in. If I hadn’t decided on a whim to come in then I wouldn’t have known about this change till I had already been hit with the penalties. Why was it that no one contacted me about the possible penalty?” 

Aidan raised her hands. “I can only answer for myself. I don’t have any of your contact information. I did send off an email to your supervising account manager.”  
“What did you tell him?”  
“I can pull up the email if you like.”   
“Do that.”

Helen would have rolled her eyes had they been open. Back to that stiff interaction. She wondered if it was the thought of the company watching or Aidan was hesitant because she was here. Not wanting to be too friendly to someone else’s husband. 

She watched as they walked over to Aidan’s desk. 

Aidan pulled up her email program and the email she had been talking about. John read it over her shoulder. 

He had her caged in with one hand on the desk and leaning over the back of her chair. 

Helen adored her husband but she wasn’t blind or stupid. She saw the Darkness in him. She knew, not the details but, what he used to be. Very few people were comfortable in his personal space. His very wide personal space. 

She watched the interaction and spacing between him and the young woman. Aidan was close enough that he brushed up against her when he moved his leg. It didn’t seem to bother either of them. 

She did gather up her hair and start twisting it. 

Then it got very….informative. John took the hair out of her hand and started braiding. French braiding from the top of her head. 

“You know it’s just going to fluff out.”   
“Yep.”   
“You could just wad it up into that bun thing. I still have the chopsticks.”   
“Doesn’t stay as well.”   
“Yeah, but it’s quicker.”

“You have somewhere to be all of the sudden?”

She tilted her body and head back coming to rest against his abdomen and looked up at him upside down. 

Helen thought that the girl had no idea of how erotically appealing she looked. She also wasn’t totally aware of what all her head was resting against. She would just bet that John was getting hard. 

Aidan straightened back up with a sigh. “Fine. You’ll do what you want anyway. It does stay out of my face better. I keep thinking about cutting it. Don’t growl at me. I’m not. It’s worse. If you can believe that. When it’s short, I look like I have a puffball on my head.” 

John finished the braid and pulled a hair tie out of his pocket to finish it off. 

Aidan patted it. “Thank you. Much better.”   
“Welcome.” 

John shifted to prop his hip on the desk and took over the control of the mouse. 

“Okay. Back to what’s-his-face. And what did he have to say to your suggestion of contacting me?”

Aidan shrugged. “Not a damn thing.” She shook her head. “That was sort of cover my ass. I have the email documenting that I TOLD him that it might be in his best interest for someone to contact you. Sure to God someone must have a way of getting hold of you. Bothering you by reaching out to inform you of a policy change that was going to have a monetary effect on your accounts would go over better than respecting your privacy and letting you take that hit to your pocketbook.” 

“What the actual fuck?”  
“Which part?”

“Don’t bother me? Respect my privacy?”  
“Those were my instructions when I was handed the daily oversight of dealing with you and your accounts. Part of me wanted to look at the person that told me that and ask if I looked like a total idiot? I didn’t really want an answer though. 

“It should go without saying that you don’t harass the clients with useless, needless phone calls, texts or emails. Keep your mouth shut about anything that you know about them professionally or find out about their personal life.

“This was like a total moratorium on any contact from our side which I’m sorry to say just strikes me as totally asinine.” 

“Do you have those instructions in writing?”  
“Nope.”   
“Where’s your phone?”

Aidan turned slightly and looked at him in disbelief. “On the corner of my desk where it’s always been.” 

What followed nearly had Helen rolling off the couch. 

John lightly flicked Aidan’s ear.   
“OW! Don’t flick me. You asked. I answered.” She pinched him on the back of the thigh. Or tried. Helen already knew his thighs were like rocks. Most of his ‘padding’ was muscle. Not fat.

“Damnit. It would help if you had something that I could actually get hold of.”   
Helen put her hand over her mouth. She could almost predict what was coming. 

John snickered. “Try up and forward.” He shifted slightly so his body was angled more toward her. He gently took her hand and started to move it to the front of his body. She very quickly pulled back. 

Aidan glared up at him. “Aren’t you just being so male today?”  
John cupped himself. “Dick. Balls. Yep. I seem to qualify. Would you like to verify?” With his positioning, that was damn near right in her face. 

Aidan’s jaw wasn’t the only one to drop. Her sputtering covered Helen’s snickers. 

It was a side of John that only rarely surfaced now days. It made her realized just how much he had buried parts of his sensuality and sexuality. And his own unique brand of playfulness. Funny as hell to watch and also deeply disturbing. She had known he was playing small for her but hadn’t realized the extent of it till she watched him interact with Aidan. 

Aidan did a fair lift lip in response and gave what was probably supposed to be a growl. 

In response, John lowered his body and face till his nose was inches from hers. He didn’t do the lift lip but he gave a long low growl that made the hair on Helen’s neck stand up. She was expecting Aidan to bolt from the room. The girl surprised her. 

Aidan’s reaction was to slowly move toward him and lick his nose.   
He in turn rubbed the moisture off on her face. 

Helen found herself utterly enthralled with their interactions. That seemed as if it was something that happened from time to time. Which really aroused her curiosity about their interactions. There was nothing typical about them. At least, not how John generally reacted to and around other people. 

John reached under her desk and put a bag on the wooden top with a raised eyebrow. He indicated the canvas backpack. “You want to get your phone out or do I go digging?”  
/Oh? He knew where she kept her purse? Wasn’t that just telling?/ 

Aidan made a face. “Anything that you find in there would embarrass me more than it would you. So unfair. I’ll dig.” 

She opened the zipper to the main compartment and pulled out a leather book and put it on her desk. Then she pulled out a phone in a case and offered it to John. Who was more interested in the contents of her purse. 

He touched the leather book and opened it slightly. Just enough to see handwriting. He closed it with a nod. “Journal.” He then glanced inside. “Kindle. How many pens?”

She pulled out a handful of different colored pens from an outside pocket. “Enough for the moment.” 

“What else do you have in there?”  
She rolled her eyes and moved the purse toward him. “Knock yourself out. Just put the stuff back in the same pocket you got it out of. I like being able to find my shit.” 

Helen found her eyebrows rising. Aidan didn’t exactly mind him going through her purse. She could have balked more. John would have respected it and backed down if he thought it would actually upset her. What was really interesting was that John felt that he COULD go through her purse. He was curious enough to do so. 

Aidan leaned back in her chair and watched as he examined. Flashlight, folding scissors, wet wipes, a couple of small medicine bottles, eye drops, elastic bands, post it notes, keys, phone charger, drawstring bag with change in it, checkbook, and a zippered case that she took away from John and put it back in when he pulled it out. “Girl stuff?”

“Yes.”   
He pulled out a small planner, opened it and paged through it thoughtfully. “Not what I was thinking it was an excuse for. Where did you get actual food poisoning? You don’t eat anything that you don’t recognize. You tend to bring your own food.” 

Aidan made a confused face? “What? Excuse for what? Yes I did have food poisoning or something. Whatever it was had me purging at both ends.”   
“Menstrual cycle.”   
Aidan’s mouth opened and closed several times with some odd noises coming out. Finally the strangled sound emerged that sounded close enough to “Whhhaaaat?” that John elaborated. 

“You don’t always have a good first day. Or the start of a first day. Once you start bleeding you are fine. It’s the pre-bleeding stuff that kicks your ass.” 

Helen blinked. How the hell did John know that? No. His senses were more than acute enough. Why did he bother to track and remember? 

Aidan covered her face with one hand. The color of her face was starting to match the shading of her hair. “Thank you ever so for that bit of sharing that. I could have gone the rest of my life without you divulging that little tidbit of knowledge.” 

“Welcome. Now how did a non-adventurous eater like you get food poisoning? You eat like a cat. You practically send it off for analysis before you are willing to put it in your mouth.” 

“Oh! Oh! Well excuse me for not taking after you! You’ll put things in your mouth that I wouldn’t even get close to, let alone eat!” Once her brain caught up with what she had said, Aidan looked horrified and mortified in almost equal parts. 

John tried to keep the laughter down. He succeeded. Mostly. He kept the laughter down but something else entered the atmosphere. Or was released from the depths where it had been lurking. It was even more effective for its deep timbre and softness. There was something Dark about it. 

Aidan just put her head down on her folded arms. “Shut. Up! You know damn well how I meant that.” 

/Shut up? He certainly hadn’t heard that very often. Not exactly effective as a command but still. He hadn’t taken exception to it. And poor Aidan was now thoroughly embarrassed. She was a kitten bristling up at some feline creature of Darkness./

John cupped the back of her head against him with one hand and stroked her back gently with the other as he tried to get his snickers under control. 

/He was physical with her. Very physical. He had pulled her to his body and shifted so her face was pressed against his stomach instead of his crotch considering the difference in height. There was some deep genuine liking in that posture and touch. The way his body curved over hers. She hadn’t seen it directed toward anyone else that she could remember. That didn’t surprise her as much as the sexual interest. She had known he was attracted. Even throttled back, he was obvious. He wasn’t hiding. She wasn’t freaking. Cautious and hesitant yes. But there was responsiveness there./ 

Aidan sat back with an odd look on her face. “Whoa. Wait a minute. Suddenly I’m kind of wondering some things myself. I was invited. There was an appreciation thingie for the assistants. I went and ate since I was told that I needed to be more sociable and not isolate myself over here. I don’t think that I was the only one that was out the next day. And isn’t that kind of interesting?”

He tugged her up till they were face to face. He cupped Aidan’s face and turned her toward the setting sun. “How sick were you and how are you feeling now?”

She was standing calmly between his spread thighs. It made Helen’s hands itch for her camera. The pose was… It was intimate and erotic without being in the lease pornographic. 

Aidan’s hands were resting comfortably on the dark fabric of his pants. She was as pale as was expected of a natural redhead. Her nails were painted a soft pink. Her hands were spread wide and still only spanned a small part of his upper thigh calling to attention the size disparity. The very tips of her fingers were stroking slightly. Soothing motions. Calming. There was no tension in her posture. Only a sort of weary resignation. Rather like she was used to this sudden and through inspection of her person. 

And wasn’t that a very interesting supposition. And it made Helen feel better if slightly small that she wasn’t the only one that had to suffer through the in-depth inspection of her health and person. 

“I’m fine. My stomach is just not totally happy with me. Boring and plain is the only thing that it is willing to tolerate.” 

John shifted her around till she was leaning against his chest. 

/Somehow that was even more erotic than some of the porn she had watched out of curiosity. He handled her body and she allowed it. It was as if he had the right to position her in whatever way that he wanted. She didn’t protest. There was something very intimate about that. She was comfortable with his touch. Relaxed. Trusting. Welcoming. Something that he didn’t get from the world at large. Being welcomed into personal space. 

The way John’s body curved around Aidan. He was both dark and Dark. There were aspects of him that were coming to the fore. Aidan had to sense them. Anyone would that wasn’t deaf, dumb and blind would. She wasn’t stupid. She was dealing with it all better than Helen would have ever thought. 

She wasn’t stiffening up or trying to get distance between then. She was actually leaning against him allowing him to support her. She even shifted against him slightly to get more comfortable. And wasn’t that an…interesting…expression on John’s face? He found her moving against him arousing. Add to that fact that he generally wasn’t easily aroused these days. His sex drive had scaled back to match hers which had dwindled as her joint discomfort had increased. Curiouser and curiouser./

He picked up her phone and poked it. “No password?”

She gave him an ‘are you kidding?’ face over her shoulder. “No. No password. This is my personal phone?! It’s not like there is anything secret or even that interesting on it.”

He programmed something into the phone. “You now have my cell and my email. If something comes up, contact me. If anyone says anything about it…let me know. I’ll handle it.” 

“And you will be cranky about having to handle it. I prefer you non-cranky. I’ll handle it. I’ll tell them that you gave it to me with specific instructions. Invite them to contact you or ask when you come in. I can pretty much guarantee that they won’t be accosting you.”

/Cranky? Seriously? Of all the words that had been applied to John Wick’s temperament when it was less than civilized….cranky didn’t make the top 100. She preferred him ‘non-cranky’? Did that mean that she HAD seen him cranky? And she was still willing to get within arm’s distance of him? WAIT. The Incident. That would definitely be ‘cranky’./

She took her phone back and put it in her purse..” Oh, I’m sorry. Were you finished snooping?”  
“Pretty much. I reserve the right to continue later.” 

Aidan shook her head and rolled her eyes in exasperation. She slowly shifted around and back so they were face to face with a modicum of space between them. He had let her go when she moved away slightly. Till then his hands had been on her hips. “And if I decided that I wanted to know what you carried in your pockets?”

A slow wicked smile spread over John’s face he opened his arms in an inviting gesture. “Shall I empty them or would you rather search me yourself?”

Aidan had a pretty good ‘fuck you’ look going till her lips twitched. “I don’t even know why I try. I never win. I always fluster first.” 

“You try because you enjoy playing. It’s not about winning or losing. You like me. You trust me. It’s also an excuse to get close. Physically. Get to know me. You can put your hands in my pockets and see what you find. I’ll even help.”

Aidan backed away slightly. “Uh. This just got kind of serious.” She glanced toward the couch. “And awkward.” She started to take another step away. 

John reached out and tugged her toward him. It put her off balance and she fell into him. “Why don’t you come over here Darling? It’s going to get interesting and you can’t observe that well from the couch.” 

Aidan’s jaw dropped. “What?” 

Helen got up and shut the door and then walked across the room to lower the blinds. The lamps that were on around the room gave a feeling of intimacy. 

She then moved to join them at the desk. She moved the chair back and sat with her feet curled up in the chair with her. “Personally, I think it would be the weapons. She doesn’t seem to get upset about much but I have the feeling those might take her aback some.” 

Aidan blinked and turned slightly so she could see Helen. “Excuse me? Weapons?” She frowned. “What weapons?”

Helen shifted till she was more comfortable. “You do realize that he’s carrying. I’m not exactly sure what he has on him today. I wasn’t in the room when he was dressing.” She shifted her attention to John. “You might want to take care of those since I don’t know how familiar or comfortable she is with guns.” 

John shrugged and put both arms around Aidan. “The guns are not in my pockets despite the old joke.” 

“No. But she is going to discover them as she ‘handles’ what is in your pockets.” 

“That sounded incredibly suggestive. I don’t know that I’m going to be ‘handling’ anything of his except his accounts.” Aidan tried to maintain her focus on Helen. 

“By all means, do handle his assets.” 

Aidan closed her eyes and her head dropped slightly. “You two actually deserve each other.” It was muttered but both Helen and John had excellent hearing. 

John opened his suit coat to display the interior and a shoulder holster. He took the 9mm out and showed it to her. “Here is the safety. It’s on. This one ejects the magazine like so.” He depressed the button and the magazine dropped out. “Hollow points. You put it back in here and pushing till you hear a click.” He demonstrated. “Like that.” 

“You push the safety down like this. The gun can now be fired. This is a 9mm so you cock it by pulling the slide back like this.” He pulled the slide and felt her shift back and into him and for the first time he could feel some real tension and fear in her body. “Easy. Easy. My finger isn’t on the trigger. I’m pointing it toward the floor which is concrete. Now I am going to uncock it and eject the bullet from the barrel.” He matched motion to word. “I’m going to drop the magazine out. Check the chamber which is now empty.” 

He put the gun on her desk and then wrapped both arms around her. “Guns by themselves are to be respected but not feared. Being scared and panicking will get you hurt. It’s not the gun but the person holding the gun you have to worry about.” 

He had seen her upset. He had seen her calmly face several tense situations. This was the first time that he was actually worried that she was about to go into a full blown panic attack. What he had heard out of her last night had upset him more than he wanted to admit. He had been so very close to getting dressed and collecting her whether she had wanted to come or not. 

Thinking how vulnerable she was and had been while she was ‘loopy’ on the medication… bothered… him. He hadn’t realized that she was prone to panic attacks before that. She had shown remarkable calm in some damn tense situations. 

He tightened his grip on her. “Now. I want you to take deep, even breaths. I want to feel you breathe.” 

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You can do this. You don’t freak out till the shitstorm is over. This was nothing. You knew I was carrying. You have seen the gun before. It’s not like I’ve hidden it. No reason to freak now. Is there?” 

He licked her ear which made her cringe. And got her attention off the gun lying on the desk.   
“Come on. Where is my feisty kitten?”   
Aidan blinked. “Your what?”

“You remind me of a kitten. One of those little fluffballs that bounces around like a little baby badass.” 

For once she seemed at a loss for words. 

“Left jacket pocket. What’s in there?” He held his jacket open for her to see.  
“I have no idea.”   
“Then reach in and find out.” 

She looked first then pulled it open with a finger. “A silvery metal case.”   
“And what’s in the case?”

She threw a frown his way before she reached in and using finger and thumb pulled it out. It was fairly thin and flat. She carefully examined it. “Do I even want to know?”  
“It’s nothing illegal if that’s what you are wondering.” He held the case flat and opened it. 

“Cigarettes? Funny looking cigarettes?”  
“They’re called cigarillos. Sort of a scaled down cigar. Yes. I smoke. Outside. Not in the house or car. Or any other enclosed place.” He started to close the case but before he could she stuck her finger in. “Wait. What do they smell like?”

He took one out and handed it to her.   
“Huh. They don’t smell that bad. It doesn’t have that…smell I was expecting. More like pipe tobacco than cigarettes.”   
“Special blend.”   
She handed him the cigarillo back and watched him put it away. With a thoughtful look on her face. 

“I can see the wheels turning.”   
“Nothing.”   
“Bullshit.” 

She shrugged. “Nothing I want to discuss here. I just remembered something. Or parts of something. You smoke to calm down. You got up and went..somewhere… at one point. I sort of remember watching you. I’ve smelled that before. That’s all.”   
“Later tonight then.”   
“Oh? What kind of discussion are we going to have later tonight and how did this come about?”  
“Memories.”   
“I’ve pretty much happily repressed those thank you very much.” 

He eased his jacket off and removed the shoulder holster. “That takes care of the only gun you are going to find as you see what’s in my pockets.” 

Aidan looked thoughtful. “So I can extrapolate from that comment that any other weapons you have aren’t on your torso?”  
“There are no other guns located on my torso.” 

“I can’t tell you how comforting that was not. So you have other weapons.”   
“Yep. Now. Shirt pocket.”   
“What about the coat pockets?”

“I don’t carry anything in the outside coat pockets usually. You are about the only one that will drop things in the outside pockets of my coat.”  
“Fine. Shirt pocket. Pen and pencil set.” She took out a tin of cinnamon breath mints. “Cinnamon?”  
“I like things with a bite.”   
“Why am I not surprised?”  
“You know me fairly well. Better than most considering how little time we actually have spent together. You pay attention.”   
“Moving along.”   
“Right front pants pocket.”   
She cupped both hands and held them out. “Okay. Let’s see.” 

He shifted so his side was to her. He took her right hand in his and slowly slid it into his pants pocket. It was…shockingly intimate. His breath deepened slightly and his stance shifted. He pressed her palm to his body for a few seconds before he released her hand and removed his. 

Aidan carefully emptied his pocket. “Change. Some cash. Hair ties. Pocket knife. Marbles? Why? You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.” She put them in a dish that she had her incense burner on. “Black…cord? What do you do with black cord?”

John just kind of gave her a look.  
“Oh. Forget I asked then.” 

“Left front pocket.” This time he turned to face forward and moved her around to his left side and put his arm around her. She eased her hand in his pocket. “Keys.” She placed them on the desk and slid had hand back in and froze. The length, heat and hardness under his fingers registered. 

His response was a long, low moaning growl of pure arousal. It took both women by surprise. Helen found it arousing and intriguing.   
Aidan’s response was more along the lines of “Uh Oh.”

“Touch me.”   
“Not a good idea.” 

He sifted where he was braced more on the desk and spread his legs. He rested his face against the top of her head and breathed in deeply. His struggle for control was unexpected. He wasn’t easily aroused. Hadn’t been in months if not longer. Added in was the fact that he and Helen had pleasured each other which should have more than taken the edge off. It hadn’t. Just the touch of her hand through his pants had him wanting so much more. He flashed on what little he could remember of the night they had spent together. It wasn’t much. Fleeting flickers. 

It was the way she touched him. His body. His face. The way he could feel her mouth on his chest. Tender and reverent. She kissed his scars. That was burned into his memory. He wanted more. He wanted to be aware and responsive as she did that to him. That and more. He wanted. 

Helen could see his arousal. His want and need. She wanted to know what it would look like if Aidan were to touch him. Intimately. The pale color of her against his darker golden coloration. Pull down his zipper and slid her hand inside. Her cool hand. He ran hot. Ease him out and stroke him. Learn him. 

“Touch him. He doesn’t ask for much or often.” 

Aidan looked at Helen like she had lost her mind. “This is so not the time or place. The door isn’t locked. We are at freaking work. I’m not even that sure that we aren’t being monitored. It’s beyond inappropriate.” 

“I locked the door. The blinds are closed. He has made sure we aren’t monitored. And if you need it stated, I give you permission to pleasure him.”   
“Uh. Yeah. Well.” 

“Haven’t you wondered what he is like when he kisses? What he feels like? His taste? To experience him unclouded by the drugs you were both exposed to. Yes, he told me about it. How much pleasure he found but how much more it made him want. The things it made him think of to do to you and with you. The pleasure he could bring. The carnal delights he could teach you. We could teach you. All you have to do, is agree. 

“You like the heat he generates. You can make him much warmer.” Helen stood up and walked to behind Aidan. She was slightly surprised that Aidan was shorter by several inches. She leaned in and spoke in the girl’s ear. “He wants you. Hungers for you. We talked about it last night.” 

Helen licked up Aidan’s throat slowly. “It was rather…inspirational…for us both. You know deep down that he is…different. You body understands. I think your heart does as well. You mind is very good at ignoring. We come from a race where the rules are different. We are loyal. Not strictly monogamous. 

“He isn’t the only one that finds you…appealing. You liked the picture that I sent him. Didn’t you Aidan?”

“Uh? Picture? What picture?” Aidan’s eyes were wide and wary. 

“Oh? Shall I refresh your memory? My hair was down. Like it is now. I wasn’t wearing anything. He told me that the photo appealed to you. He sent me your number but didn’t have time to send a message before you took the phone away from him. What if you hadn’t? Wouldn’t you like me to send you a picture? Just for you? Suggestions of what we could do with and to each other.

“How I want to touch you. Taste you. Kiss you. Hear the sounds you make as I explore your body. The gasps and whimpers. The moans. Are you vocal? Quiet? Loud? How quickly and thoroughly can I reduce you to sounds? No words to be found. No higher thoughts? Just bone deep hunger for more. 

Helen sucked lightly on Aidan’s neck and then bit. Aidan’s hands clenched in John’s shirt. “Still not a good idea. One of us needs to be sensible. How could this last? The two of you with me? Out of my league. In over my head.” 

“I disagree. It is more uncommon in our cultures to be only a duo. We have both had years of making polyamory work. Yes, sometimes better than others. But what it really entails is communication. You know how to do that. 

“Besides, John would be more than willing to play with you at whatever level you wished.” Helen switched to the other side and whispered in her ear. “I’m sure that we can think of something that you would enjoy. What if I don’t particularly care if it’s a ‘good idea’. According to whom anyway? The small hearts and minds that make up a good deal of the people that presently surround you? How much are they living their own lives and how much are they bitter and resentful and only desire to keep anyone from embracing the kind of existence they fear? One full and rich.

“I know what it is to be fully alive. Let us teach you. Come and experience it with us. What if I reached under that lovely skirt? What would I find? Tights? Would you slide them off for me? Let me touch you? Or would you prefer that I stroke you through the tights first. Are you wet? Damp for us? I’m going to start raising your skirt now. So I can touch you. I am wishing now that I had worn one as well. I want the feeling of your hands on me. Touching me. Stroking me. There are other things that I want to do with you and to you. But that is for later. 

“Ahhhh, yes. How warm you are. Damp. You like that don’t you? What if I press just right there. I can feel you shiver. It feels so good…doesn’t it? Let’s slide the tights down. Let me touch you. You want that don’t you? Say ‘yes’ for me. Open yourself to my touch. We will keep you safe. Take care of you. Say ‘yes’.” 

Aidan whimpered. “Oh God. Oh this is such a bad idea. Yes. Please. Yes.” 

Helen slid the tights and her underwear down. Aidan had already kicked off her shoes. Helen slid her hand up the silky soft thigh and cupped the wet curls at the apex. 

Aidan’s head dropped forward to John’s chest as her body quivered. 

“So sweet. So responsive. So wet. Yes. Just like that. You like being stroked. Don’t you. I can feel you shivering. You are hungry. It’s been a long time since you’ve been touched. Hasn’t it?

“Have you ever had someone take their time with you? Touch and taste you till you didn’t think that you could take one more thing?” 

Aidan shook her head. “No. Just that one… No.” 

“No? What did you have then?”  
“It was awkward and quick.” 

“It wasn’t quick with John. Was it? That is what you hesitated to say. You don’t have to fear telling me about it. I want to hear. I want to watch. 

“You remember. Not all of it. But enough. I’m not upset. I’m not angry. I will reassure you of this as long and as often as needed until you believe. 

“Did it embarrass you? How much he enjoyed touching you? How hard it made him? Those sounds he made? He is quiet but he is NOT silent. The way he used his mouth on you? He is amazingly oral. 

“He didn’t ‘go down on you’ so he could fuck you quicker. He didn’t do it so you would give him a blowjob in return. He did it because he likes it. Your scent. Your aroused, intimate scent makes him hard. The taste of you, arouses hungers in him. He wants you. Desires you. He is a generous lover. He can make you feel so, very…good.

“I want to watch him do that to you. Fill you up. Pleasure you till you fall apart. Then I want to taste you. Both of you. Do things to your body that might embarrass you at first but you will come to crave the pleasure. 

“Spend nights tangled in each other and the pleasures we can give to each other. You want that too. Don’t you Aidan?” 

“Yes. God help me but yes.” 

“He wants to claim you. Put his mark on you. I can understand that now. Such lovely skin. It would be a feast for the senses. I can see why he is so tempted. Why he wonders about the reasons he is resisting making you his. You are so receptive to his touch. The scent and feel of him. You want more and blame yourself for it.

“You have been conditioned by small-minded people that take no pleasure in life. That just exist and want to damn others to the same fate. Part of you longs to be sensual and sexual. To share pleasure without keeping score. Without shame or doubt that you are desired. That you are desired and desirable. Let us prove that to you. 

“He wants your acceptance. As much as you want to be accepted by him. To not have to wonder or second-guess later when passions have abated. That you will have a place by his fire where ever it goes and room in his heart. House-room and Heart-room. Not concepts that come from your world. 

“But then you know that we don’t come from the same place or have the same background as you. We are different. All the way down to the marrow of our bones. You have experienced the fact and felt it at a level you possibly can’t even articulate. But it is there. The yearning pull. Time to give in. No good reason to resist any more. You are wanted and welcome. 

“He told me just a little. What flashes that he could remember. He was stripped down to the core. Wasn’t he? I’m amazed that he managed to resist.” Helen shifted Aidan to the side and devoured her mouth. 

Pulling back she whispered. “I don’t think that I would have been able to or even tried. I would have slithered myself as deeply into your body and soul as I could manage. So close that every time you took a breath you would breathe me in. Or did he? You know what lies beneath his clothes? Don’t you?” 

“Yes. No. He didn’t. He bit my thigh and freaked me out with the blood but then…”

“It got rather unexplainable?”

“It got fucking weird. He put holes in my thigh. That didn’t really hurt. He licked up the blood and they healed. He had these freaking fangs and claws that weren’t getting anywhere near parts of my body. Unexplainable doesn’t even come close.” 

Helen and Aidan could feel John’s body tense. 

Helen looked at the young girl. “Are you afraid of him?”

“Not exactly.”   
“That wasn’t a yes or no.”   
“What makes you think that it’s even remotely that simple? Stuff like that doesn’t exist in my world. The world that I grew up in anyway. Not really. Yeah, stories about other races with different abilities…but they are just that…stories. Supposedly. I never really expected them to be based on and in fact.” 

“Try this. Do you trust him?”

They could feel the wince from John. 

“Actually. Yes. He stopped when I said no. He growled at me. Wasn’t happy and made damn sure that I knew it but…he stopped.” 

“What exactly was he doing that he stopped when you said ‘no’?” 

Aidan started turning red. “Uh.” 

John shifted downward so they were closer in height. “I sort of remember the hair pulling and the water being poured over my head. That stopped?”

“No. It was later. You sort of woke back up but you weren’t there all the way. I tried talking to you but you didn’t answer. In words.” She hesitated. 

“What were you talking to me about? You asked me something. Didn’t you?”  
“If you knew who I was. What is my name?”

“Did I answer?”  
“Something. I have no idea what you said but it wasn’t Aidan.” 

“My little fire. My sweet flame. My heat on a cold night. I want to slide inside your body all the way to the marrow of you and make it my home.” 

Aidan looked up at him. Startled. “Uh.”   
“It was what I couldn’t find the Standard words to say. It was just as well you said ‘no’ at the moment. There were and would have been forces at work that you couldn’t have possibly understood what you were agreeing to.” 

Helen whispered in her ear like a carnal temptress. “But he knows who you are now. He knows more than your name. He knows your desires and fears and that you are both strong and weak. As are all of us. Lift your skirt to him. Take him inside. Let him in. You can be each other’s shelter and solace. 

“His head knows that this isn’t a good time and place. But his heart and soul don’t care about the setting. Only about you. He needs you as much as you need him. Want him. Desire him. Care for and about him. Give yourself to him. He will take exquisite care of you.

“He’s afraid. That you will reject him. He is afraid of waiting. But he has. Because he thought that was what you wanted and what would be best for you. For everyone but himself. He will set himself on fire to keep us safe. But you can put out that burning. Change the flames from pain to pleasure. Give in. To what you have wanted for months. 

“Lead him over to the couch and let him cover you. Show you how deep and lovely pleasure can be with the right person. Give yourself to him. Allow him to give you all of himself and not fear or hold back. You can do that. Can’t you? 

“All you have to do is take him by the hand.” 

John took a very deep breath. “No. It shouldn’t be hidden and hurried. Take my hand. Yes. But to go with us. To our home. For the weekend.” He looked at the both of them. “I don’t want her pushed into this against her will or better judgment. I could have more than done that myself. I could have pushed forward and entered her body and mind. I was there enough for that. I could have bound her to me so tightly she would never win free. Even in death. But I didn’t. It wasn’t what I wanted. 

“I wanted and want her to give herself to me. Openly and freely. To take me into her body, heart and soul. I wanted her to look into my eyes as she lowered herself and took me in. Knowing the choice was hers. Made freely and willingly. I am not going to settle for anything less.” 

Aidan was looking at him with tears in her eyes. “I had no idea. Not really. I knew that you sort of cared. I was afraid to think on it any deeper. I can’t match that in return. But I want it.” 

She took his hand in hers and turned at looked at Helen. 

Who was holding out her hand in turn. “I can’t and won’t promise that it will be perfect. There will never be and doubts or arguments. That there will be roses without the thorns. But you will be alive and deeply loved. That’s what counts for the most in the end.”


End file.
